John h



(No Model.)

J. H.-WAR-D.

' UAR UOUPLING.

Patented July 28, 1885.

Elite-mes UNITED STATES PATENT @EETCE.

JOHN H. \VARD, OF LO\VELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMESH. MODERMOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,22, dated July 28,1885.

Application filed June 6, 1855.

To coZZ whom/i2? may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. TVARD, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a descriptionsufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation representingmy improved car-coupler; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 3,a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 00:0 in Fig. 2,and Fig. 4a longitudinal section of one of the draw-bar heads provided with theordinary coupling- Likeletters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures of the drawlngs.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplers which are automatic intheir action, or self-coupling; and it consists in anovel constructionand arrangement of the parts,as hereinafter more fully set forth andclaimed, the object being to produce asimpler, cheaper, and moreeffective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A B represent the drawbarhead; O, the coupling-link,and D the drawbars. The heads A B, link 0, draw-bars D, and theirimmediately connected appliances or attachments constitute the couplerproper, and it istherefore not deemed essential to show the cars withwhich they are designed to be used.

Each of the heads is provided with an open mouth, at, and chamber orcavity 2, the chamber opening outward through the bottom of the head att.

Pivoted atf to either side of each head, near the draw-bar D, there is alever, E, and mounted in the free ends of these levers thereisatransversely-arranged coupling-pin, H, adapted to (No model.)

work in upwardly and backwardly curved slots J formed respectively inthe sides of the head.

The link 0 is provided with an upwardly turned hook, (I, at either end,adapted to engage the pin H.

A chain, K, is attached to the levers E for raising the pin H out ofengagement with the link 0 in uncouplingthe cars. The chain may beextended to the top of the car, or it may be attached to a crank-leveron the end of the car, thereby enabling the pin to be raised and thecars uncoupled without the necessity of going between them.

A vertically-arranged hole, M, is formed in the forward end of the headfor receiving the ordinary coupling-pin, N. The upper section ofthishole is flared where it opens into the mouth at, as shown at 1', toenable the pin N to be inclined, and thereby permit it to rest on thepin H, as shown in Fig. 4.

To couple the cars with my improved coupler, the link being in the headA, as shown in Figs. 1, 2. and 3, if, now, the heads A B are broughttogether, the link 0 will enter the head B, strike the pin H, and forceit upwardly in the slots J, the hook d passing under said pin into thechamber 2 as thelink enters the head, and the pin falling and engagingthe hook after the hook has passed it, thereby coupling the cars in amanner which will be readily obvious without a more explicitdescription.

To uncouple the cars, the heads A B are pushed together until the hooks(Z are disengaged from the pins H, when the chain K of the head B or A,as the case may be, is drawn up, thereby raising the levers E and pin H,attached to said chain, and permitting the link to be withdrawn from thehead in which the pin is raised by the chain, as described. The leversact to keep the pin H in a horizontal position and also to weight saidpin, and constantly tend to force it down onto the bottom of the groovesJ.

NVhen the ordinary or old-fashioned link is used to couple the cars,thepinNis employed, the pin being inclined and permitted to rest on thepin H, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the heads of the coupler arebrought together and the link enters the head B the link will strike thepin H and force it upwardly in the slots J from under the pin H, therebypermitting the pin N to drop and enter the link and couple the cars. Adownwardly-curved groove, g, is formed in the bottom of each of theheads to receive the lower end of the pin N and guide it into the lowerpart of the hole M when it falls from the pin H through the link,

I do not confine myself to using the hole M, pin N, and groove as eitheror all of these features may be omitted, if desired. Neither do Iconfine myself to the use of the chain K, as any other suitable meansmay be employed for raising the levers E and pin H.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a car-coupler,the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit: two drawbarheads, each of said heads being provided with an open mouth and chamberfor receiving the coupling-link, upwardly and backwardly curved slotsopening through either of its sides into said chamber, a transversecoupling-pin adapted to work in said slots, two gravitating pivotedlevers for said pin, and a lifting-chain for raising the levers and pinin uncoupling the cars, and a couplinglink provided with hooks adaptedto engage said pins, substantially as'described.

2. The improved car-coupler herein described, the same consisting of thebars D and heads A B, each of said heads being provided with a mouth, m,chamber 2, slots J, pin H, levers E, and chain K, in combination withthe link 0, having the hooks d, constructed, combined, and arranged tooperate substantially as set forth.

3. The head A, provided with the groove 9, slots J, and hole M, flaredas shown at r, in combination with the pins H N and levers E,substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupler, the head A, provided with the mouth m,chamberz,slots J, and groove 9, for receiving and guiding the pin N into thelower portion of the hole M, in combination with the pin H, levers E,and chain K, constructed, combined, and arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

JOHN H. \VARD.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL l3. VVYMAN, GEO. H. STEVENS.

